


Umbrella

by tylerandburnham



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:41:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22778866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tylerandburnham/pseuds/tylerandburnham
Summary: Set in Season 2 between the episodes Saints of Imperfection and The Sound of Thunder. Tilly is eating in the mess hall with Tyler. What happens when she accidentally reveals that Mirror Universe Captain Lorca was in love with Michael Burnham.
Relationships: Michael Burnham/Ash Tyler | Voq
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24





	1. Chapter 1

Umbrella

“When the sun shines, we shine together  
Told you I'll be here forever  
Said I'll always be your friend  
Took an oath that I'm a stick it out 'til the end  
Now that it's raining more than ever  
Know that we still have each other  
You can stand under my umbrella”  
Rihanna - Umbrella

Chapter 1

The mess hall tray being put down on the table across from Tyler surprised him. He had, of course, observed her enter but assumed she’d pick any number of other tables with dining Disco crew members to eat at. It was late and not that busy in the mess hall. Which was one reason why Tyler chose to come now. Still, it seems everyone was giving him a wide berth. It used to be that they didn’t know what to make out of the new Tyler-the half human/half klingon who had...killed Dr. Culber. Thank Kahless for whatever miracle had brought Dr. Culber back to life. It didn’t undo what Voq had done but still… Now everyone, who had gotten past all that, was giving him plenty of room because he was working for Section 31. No one knew what to make of him. Tyler was mostly coming to peace with that too. But still he missed the ease he used to share with his Disco family. He missed Michael most of all. Working for Section 31 was a lonely business. 

“Hello, Tilly.” 

Tilly smiled genuinely at him. “Good to see you, Tyler.”

Smiling back at Tilly felt both strange and good to Tyler. “You too, Tilly. You know you don’t have to….” Tyler gestured at the other tables with Disco crew members. 

Tilly tilted her head at Tyler and gave him a look raising her eyebrows slightly. “I thought we had gotten over all of that.”

Tyler smiled and nodded. He then turned serious. “How are you? I couldn’t believe what had happened to you when I came back on board Discovery. I was going to come down afterward to engineering to see how you and….” He trailed off. “Captain Pike ordered me to stay on the bridge.” 

The edge in Tyler’s voice was apparent. Tilly said, “He doesn’t know you like we do. Once he does he’ll trust you. I heard we wouldn’t have survived without your help.”

“I’ll always protect...the Discovery crew.” Eager to change the subject, Tyler said, “But you didn’t tell me how you are doing?”

Tilly picked up her fork and knife and started to cut her bean burrito into manageable bites. Smiling she ate a piece. But Tyler could see the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. She took a deep breath and said, “I feel like I lost a friend. But I’m going to be okay.” And, not even sure why she said it, but Ash was always a good listener, Tilly said, “I had a good cry about it and talked with Michael.”

There, finally, someone said her name out loud. Tyler froze for a moment before saying quietly, “I know Michael values your friendship very much. She was very worried about losing you.” 

Tears were pricking the corners of Tilly’s eyes. She took another bite before saying, “I’m so grateful to her, Stamets, you, Captain Pike, the crew…”

“You would have done the same for any of us.”

Tilly swiped at her eyes and quickly raised her voice putting a cheery note into it. “So, tell me what you’ve been up too. We all thought you were on Kronos. How is it working for Section 31? Oh, wait, you can’t tell me because if you did you’d have to kill me, right?” Suddenly the thought of Dr. Culber jumped into Tilly’s brain. She quickly tried to backtrack. “Wait! Oh, I’m so sorry! That didn’t come out right! I…”

Tyler gave Tilly’s arm a quick squeeze trying to reassure her. “It’s okay, Tilly. Really it is. I can’t tell you how glad I am that Dr. Culber is alive. But, as for Section 31, everything is pretty much classified. There’s not too much I can talk about.”

Feeling reassured, Tilly smiled gratefully at Tyler and still tried to keep it light. “There must be something you can tell.” She pondered for a moment, “I know! Tell me what it’s like to work with…” Tilly leaned in and whispered, “Captain Georgiou. She must be soooo much better to work with than say….Captain Lorca! I mean could you imagine and if he had come back into our universe instead of her?! I mean not that Michael would have EVER brought Lorca back. I mean after all that he did to manipulate her into being with him……”

Tilly’s words died on her lips as she suddenly observed all the color had drained out of Tyler’s face. She looked down and could see Tyler’s hands, that moments ago had casually encircled his cup of tea, were now tight and tense. Her hands flew to her mouth. “Oh, no, you didn’t know about that…. I’m so sorry…I didn’t mean...”

Quietly, and with a tone Tilly had never heard in Tyler’s voice before, he said, “What did Lorca do...to Michael?”

End of Chapter 1


	2. Umbrella Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Second and final chapter. Set in Season 2 between the episodes Saints of Imperfection and The Sound of Thunder. Tilly is eating in the mess hall with Tyler. What happens when she accidentally reveals that Mirror Universe Captain Lorca was in love with Michael Burnham. What did they discuss? Read and find out! :)

Chapter 2

"You're part of my entity, here for infinity

When the world has took its part

When the world has dealt its cards

If the hand is hard, together we'll mend your heart"

Umbrella - Rihanna

Realizing that he was might be scaring Tilly, Tyler took a deep, steadying breath. Tyler felt ill as a wave of guilt and nausea welled up inside of him. He knew, generally of course, what had happened after Voq had taken him over, over what...reprehensible things Voq had said and done to Michael and others. All those memories were with him forever. He couldn’t run from his shame and guilt. 

He knew it turned out that Lorca was actually from the Mirror Universe, the Terran Empire. He knew that Michael had defeated him and saved them all. She had gotten them back to their universe and saved his life. And at the time he had been so consumed by Voq and by trying to banish him, to reassert himself as Ash Tyler, to get back to Michael and save her… Always Michael. And then he had to learn to figure out who this new Ash Tyler with Voq’s memories was. And the loss of Michael in his life… So much had been going on, he hadn’t realized, or thought too much about what had really happened after Michael had beamed him back to Discovery….

“What happened, Tilly? You have to tell me.”

“Maybe you should talk to….”

“Please, Tilly. You know Michael keeps me at a distance. And I don’t know how I’d even ask her…” And the last thing I ever want to do is push her, thought Tyler. He kept breathing, focusing on his breath. In and out. It was keeping his tears at bay. “I just need to know.”

Tilly shook her head. “Really, Tyler, there’s not much to say. Most of it you know. It turned out that who we thought was Lorca was really from the mirror universe. Georgiou, in that universe, raised an orphaned Michael as her own child. Lorca was Gerogiou’s trusted right hand.” She took a breath before continuing. “In the mirror universe, Lorca began grooming mirror Michael as she grew up...”

Tyler ran a hand down his face and over his mouth and beard. When his hand reached the table his hand began to clench into a fist He released his fist and tried to lay his hand flat on the table. He willed it not to shake or tremor. 

Quickly, just finish quickly, thought Tilly. “Some of it you know. Lorca had planned a coup and Michael was sent after to apprehend him. They both disappeared. What we didn’t know, but Georgiou knew full well, is that Michael and Lorca planned the coup together. During the coup, mirror Michael died.”

“So, when mirror Lorca was in our universe he…” All the pieces started to fall into place for Tyler. “He arranged to have our Michael brought aboard Discovery as a crew member.”

Tilly nodded. “That way, unbeknownst to her and us, Lorca could work on winning her over for when he figured out a way to rejoin his mirror universe.”

Leaning back in his chair, Tyler nodded his understanding. All the events and words that seemed odd at the time all made sense now in retrospect. His first mission with Michael when Lorca told him to take care of Michael or not to come back at all. When Lorca didn’t want Michael to go on the away mission to the Klingon ship even though she was needed. Lorca said it was too dangerous to send her. The time Michael had told Tyler they had to make sure to remain professional when they were on duty. She had said Lorca had made a comment to her about professionalism. 

Anger, disgust, and betrayal surged inside of Tyler. Lorca must have been overjoyed when Voq had attacked Michael and he had been sent back to Discovery. Michael had been alone and vulnerable. Lorca had his perfect opportunity.

Tyler leaned back in and lowered his voice. “I failed her...in so many ways. I was so overwhelmed...dealing with everything I was going through I didn’t see the threat. She could have died. We all could have. She needed a tether and I wasn’t there to keep her safe.”

Shaking her head Tilly said, “You can’t blame yourself, Tyler. He had us all fooled. He gathered those around him trying to make them loyal to him and then manipulated them. He saved Michael from a lifetime in a Federation prison and tried to make her believe that destiny had brought them together. He rescued you from the klingons and then made you Chief of Security, not that you weren’t qualified of course, so you’d have his back if he needed firepower. He manipulated Statmets into making one more jump that nearly cost him his life.” 

Head bowed, Tyler said, “You’re right, Tilly. I owed him everything. He saved my life and gave me a place on this ship.” Eyes glistening and voice breaking slightly, he looked up at Tilly. “But if I had known, for a second, how he felt about her and what he was trying to do...I would have…”

“I know,Tyler. And Michael knows that too.”

Suddenly the overhead intercom said, “Ensign Tilly, please report to Engineering. Ensign Tilly to Engineering.” 

“I’m sorry, Tyler. I’ve got to go.” Tilly picked up her tray to drop it off before she left the mess hall. “I’m sorry about everything. I tried to talk to Michael before you decided to go to Kronos.” Making sure Tyler had her full attention, Tilly said, “Give her time, Tyler. She still cares about you. She trusts you and I know she is so sorry about how she treated you...after...you know... She loves you and only you. She’s never stopped. It’s Section 31 she doesn’t trust and she’s worried about her brother. I know she is keeping you at a distance but she misses you. And she’s happy you’re here. I know it doesn’t seem like that.” And then realizing what she’s said. “Just please don’t tell her I told you all that!” 

Tilly hurriedly dropped off her tray and then left the mess hall. Tyler watched her go. But his thoughts had already gone to thinking about Michael. He knew he would always love, trust, and protect Michael, even if she never felt the same way about him again. But was there really still hope that Michael could love him again? Hope could be a dangerous thing and it was something he thought he had to let go of. But after talking with Tilly? It was starting to seep into his heart. When he looked at Michael he had only seen the broken pieces of their relationship. But maybe he had missed that the broken pieces had made them somehow stronger...together.

The End


End file.
